The Biotech Startups Podcast 🧬 The Secret to Biotech Success: Time, Tools & Teamwork | Bogdan Knezevic (Part 4/4)
May 8, 2025
43:48
🧬 The Biotech Startups Podcast is powered by Excedr—helping life science startups accelerate R&D and commercialization with founder-friendly equipment leasing. Skip the upfront costs, stay lean, and focus on breakthrough science.
As a TBSP listener, you can get exclusive perks through Excedr’s partner network—special savings, promotions, and more. Explore these offers today: https://www.excedr.com/partners.
"It's not about avoiding failure. It's about avoiding every scenario where you look back and say, ‘I could have done this differently and we wouldn't be here.’"
In this episode, host Jon Chee talks with Bogdan Knezevic, co-founder and CEO of Kaleidoscope, about how smart R&D infrastructure decisions can make or break biotech startups. Bogdan shares his journey from scientist to founder and explains how Kaleidoscope empowers teams to harness their data, streamline collaboration, and extend their runway.
The conversation spotlights real-world examples of how operational efficiency and the right tools create compounding advantages, why time is the true currency in biotech, and how accelerating drug development can have a profound impact for patients. Bogdan also reflects on the importance of learning by doing and paying it forward in the entrepreneurial journey.
Key topics covered:
- Building the “nerve center” for biotech R&D: Centralizing and streamlining operations.
- Why early infrastructure decisions are critical for biotech startups: Early choices shape growth.
- The compounding value of operational efficiency and smart tooling: Small gains drive big advantages.
- How saving time and capital can mean the difference between success and failure: Time and cash are everything.
- Personal lessons on mentorship, paying it forward, and learning by doing: Give back and take action.
If you enjoy The Biotech Startups Podcast, please consider subscribing, leaving a review, or sharing it with your friends. Thanks for listening.
Subscribe to the Podcast:
Find our guest, Bogdan Knezevic, at these links:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bogdanknezevic/
Website: https://www.kaleidoscope.bio/
Website: https://www.kaleidoscope.bio/
Find our host, Jon Chee, at these links:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonchee
Learn more about Excedr:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/excedr/
Website: https://www.excedr.com
Intro & Outro Songs Created by OkKyojin, Owned by Excedr:
Website: https://flow.page/kyojin
Resources & Articles:
Cash Runway 101 https://www.excedr.com/blog/what-is-cash-runway
Tips for Managing Cash Runway After Seed or Series A Financing https://www.excedr.com/blog/managing-cash-runway-after-seed-or-series-a-financing
Companies, Universities, & People mentioned:
HubSpot: https://www.hubspot.com/
Salesforce: https://www.salesforce.com/
Notion: https://www.notion.com/
Kaleidoscope Bio: https://www.kaleidoscope.bio/
Creative Destruction Lab: https://creativedestructionlab.com/
Entrepreneur First: https://www.joinef.com/
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
02:02 Kaleidoscope’s mission and focus
05:15 Real-world platform use and data management
10:24 Early infrastructure decisions and tool adoption
15:25 Incremental improvements and operational efficiency
18:51 Time and capital as critical resources in biotech
22:21 Extending runway with equipment leasing and software
26:26 Kaleidoscope’s future and enterprise readiness
32:21 Impact on patient outcomes and urgency
38:15 Paying it forward and mentorship
39:38 Advice to aspiring founders
41:25 Closing remarks and outro
The Biotech Startups Podcast gives you a front-row seat to the business and science of building a biotech. Hosted by Jon Chee, CEO of Excedr, the show features honest conversations with founders, execs, and investors about their work, their companies, and how they got there. From scientific breakthroughs to startup lessons, each episode explores what it really takes to grow a life science company—from pre-seed to IPO.